I think one of the questions I get asked most always correlates with the fact that we keep screen time to a minimum around here. First off – I don’t think there’s anything wrong with screen time. In fact, during this first trimester, the boys have watched way more TV than normal. Some of their favorite shows, like Wild Kratts, and Planet Earth I think are great. Educational, interesting, and they don’t make me want to pull my hair out. But for the most part, we like to keep things old school around here. The boys do not have tablets, nor are they allowed to use mine. To each their own, and just do what works for you! The biggest reason we cut down and eliminated screen time for the most part? The boys’ behavior. The more TV they watch, the more insane they get. There are more meltdowns and more attitude. Basically, I can see an immediate change in them. But I digress. Here are a dozen of our favorite toys, etc that help facilitate screen free days: This post contains affiliate links Screen Free Gift Guide for Kids. National Geographic Dinosaur Play Sand H has had this set […]
This post is sponsored by Huffy; however, all thoughts and opinions are my own. Choosing the right gift for your kids: Tis the season to start thinking of wishlists, gifts, and family gatherings! I know I talk a lot about keeping the excess down in my Instagram Stories. So I thought I’d share an easy way we do that when it comes to the holidays. But first, let me preface with this: no matter what you decide, never let anyone make you feel guilty about what you do or do not gift during the holidays. Whether you feel 1 or 27 presents is perfect for your little ones – that choice is all yours. Here’s how I keep things simple with our almost 5 year old: All year long, H will stop us in stores. “Mom, take a picture for my list! I like this one!” He’s a kid. He loves stuff. He loves toys. He loves sound and bright colors and wants it all, now. I was worried about figuring out how to get him something he would actually love each year. Especially because his birthday is so close to Christmas, there’s just a lot happening at […]
This Christmas was a WHIRLWIND. We ended up decorating the house and getting our tree on the night of the 23rd – better late than never, right?! With all the chaos of hosting, my hubby and I decided to forego gifts for one another. We just bought a new house. And a new minivan (#momlife). And went through a huge move. Presents could wait. Once the dust settled, I was able to pick out a few things for myself. Although to be honest, they’re mostly gifts that benefit the whole family! Here are a few of my favorite gifts I received this holiday, along with a few of the items I chose to spoil myself with: This post was sponsored. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Munki Munki Pajamas If you follow me on Instagram, you’ll have seen this post. I got so many comments on my champagne bottle pajamas, and rightly so! They are seriously incredible. So soft and with a half button front, these PJs are perfect for breastfeeding. Considering how many champagne bottles we went through, they were totally appropriate. Munki Munki‘s signature fabric will have you wanting more. I love that they’re made in the USA, […]
This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #BearyMerryVTechMom #CollectiveBias As a new mom all over again, there are a few things I’ve learned to have around. If I can find a way to make life easier and help things go more smoothly, I’m all about it. And if you’ve had a newborn you know – smooth and easy aren’t always two words that describe this time in your life! There’s gross poop, sore body parts, attempting to run off of a few hours sleep, and perpetually dealing with some kind of bodily fluid. This time of year in particular, it’s more important than ever to gift a new mom a little something special. With the holiday season in full swing and Christmas just under two weeks away, new moms definitely deserve to be spoiled. With that in mind, here are a few of my favorite goodies for new moms and newborns, to help make this time a little less chaotic. Newborn and new mom gift basket: My favorite gift idea for a new mom? A video monitor. The VTech VM341-216 Bear 2 Camera Full Color Baby Monitor to be precise. As I previously mentioned, sleep […]
The Best Gifts for the Ultimate Gilmore Girls Fans November 25th, humans around the globe will have a new reason to rejoice – The Gilmore Girls are back! I remember watching them with my mom through Middle and High School, and it was pretty much the only thing we did together at the time. I was starting to get in that “I’m too cool for my parents” phase, and like a typical teen, felt like they just couldn’t relate. However, my mom and I always had a standing date night to watch Gilmore Girls, and even to this day it’s “our” show. In fact, after we moved out of her house, a little birdie told me that she started watching the seasons over again on Netflix and there may have been some tears shed. Little did she know, I may or may not have been doing the same thing at Casa LPG (ok, I was). Because we were such Gilmore Girls fans back in the day, I’m hoping we’ll continue our viewing party date nights when the reboot happens, only this time it’ll have to be via the phone instead of on the couch together. I’m starting to get SO excited […]
Womens Wooden Watches A Father’s Day Gift Guide – practical gift ideas for the men in your life Does anyone else have a husband / significant other / father / father in law that is absolutely impossible to shop for? If my husband wants something he just goes out and buys it, which is fine, except for the fact that when the little gift giving holidays come around, I’m left with practically zero ideas! This year I did things a little differently. I scoured some of my favorite Instagram shops, sent them to my husband, and had him tell me everything that piqued his fancy. This way he gets exactly what he wants, I support small businesses, and there’s less stress and second guessing on part – I’d call that a major win! A few of the included items are more on the practical side if you’re looking for Father’s Day gift ideas for the minimalist dad, but all of these are husband and dad approved, so they’re sure to be winners in your dude’s book! PLUS, stay tuned until the end for a JORD watch GIVEAWAY! I need to give a huge thank you to McKenna Olson of McKenna Rachelle […]
This post contains affiliate links. The weather has definitely started turning here where we are, so I have a feeling our days of constant walks outside are unfortunately coming to a close. Because of this, I’ve been on the hunt for some awesome toys and books for H that will keep him occupied long enough for me to actually sit down. However, H is a toddler in every sense of the word, and its hard to keep him entertained for longer than a few minutes at a time, so it’s been no easy feat! I wanted to share a few of our recent purchases that my almost 22 month old little tot has been obsessed with lately, in hopes that you all may find some that will be great for your little ones: Uppercase Alphabet Standup Puzzle and Lowercase Alphabet Standup Puzzle and from Hape I’m trying to be better about actively engaging H in a ‘tot school’ type of experience, and these fun puzzles make it all the easier. With how deep the letters are in these Hape alphabet puzzles, you can actually take them out of the base and stand the letters up on their own to […]
Cuddle + Kind: The small shop hand-knit dolls that are fighting childhood hunger worldwide and providing sustainable fair trade wages for women. The minute I learned of cuddle + kind, I knew I had to be a part of their work. I’d like to think that I’ve always been a compassionate person, but since becoming a mother it has increased 10 fold, especially when it comes to children. Innocent, sweet, genuine little humans who have done no wrongs to this world, deserve no wrongs done unto them. It hurts my heart to think of all the children who are going without breakfast or lunch or dinner, and not for the first time. Derek and Jen Woodgate were compelled to make a difference in the fight against childhood hunger. And so cuddle + kind was created, to fill “hearts and bellies around the world.” Cuddle + kind dolls are the only handcrafted, knitted dolls that help feed children around the world. For every cuddle + kind doll sold, they give 10 meals to children in need! “With a background in health, we recognize the crucial role nutrition plays in a child’s development. As parents, we believe all children should […]